The Fellowship of Blood
by oxford-hamilton
Summary: Set five years after The Seer & the Ring. Reunited with a lost love, Alexa returns to Middle-earth as a new danger arises in the north...


**Chapter 1: Time Bomb**

Boromir rubbed his fist uselessly on the glass, trying to clear the fog that was rising from the inside. Freezing winds and rain pummelled the windscreen as they snailed along the highway. An accident on their side of the road had been holding up traffic for the past hour whilst paramedics and police worked frantically in the terrible weather to get things going again.

'This is ridiculous, we were meant to be on set twenty minutes ago,' Boromir said, annoyed. For the past four years he'd been working as a film stuntman, able to put his sword fighting skills to good use in the real world.

'I don't think they'll be doing that outdoor scene today,' Alexa said drily, staring out at the rain.

'No but there's still a whole of motion capture stuff that needs to be done,' he replied, ignoring her sarcasm.

Frantic beeping in the back of the car suddenly exploded into a fanfare of shrill excited beeps.

'Yes!' shouted four year old Jack; oblivious to the outside world as he played on his PSP.

'Dammit Jack, I said turn the sound off!' Alexa said, turning to him.

'Shh, I'm almost done,' Jack replied, his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth he was concentrating so hard. Alexa rolled her eyes at her son and looked at Boromir pleadingly.

'Jack,' Boromir warned. The boy rolled his eyes (the mirror of his mother) and sighed, acting as if the flicking of the sound button to "off" was the hardest thing in the world.

'Happy? Now shh!' Jack told them.

'How do you do that?' she asked Boromir. 'Why does he always listen to you?'

'You're too soft on him, you have to be firm,' he said. 'Take no crap, as you so often tell me'

'Crap! Ha ha!' Jack giggled. 'Crap! Crap!'

'Jack, stop that,' Alexa demanded.

'Why? Daddy said it, why can't I?'

'Because I said so,' Alexa replied. 'And Daddy has Tourette's'

'You say that about everyone who swears,' Jack protested.

'I don't care, don't talk like that,' she said. Rolling his eyes again, Jack returned to his game.

Boromir stared at the line of traffic travelling the opposite way unobstructed, streaming along at 90km in the pouring rain.

'Of course,' he said, throwing his hands up. Whilst being in this world he had well and truly learnt about the ironic realities of Murphy's Law.

'It's alright, relax,' Alexa said, reaching over and brushing the hair out of his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as she ran her hand down his neck and rubbed his shoulders.

'I just wish I didn't have to work today,' he said.

'I know, but it's ok. Jack and I will drop you off, keep ourselves out of trouble for a few hours, and then we'll all have dinner as a family,' she assured him.

'But-'

'Seriously,' she said. 'It's fine'

He lifted her other hand and kissed it softly. 'Will we have dessert tonight too?' he asked, winking.

'We'll see,' replied Alexa coyly. He grinned and turned back to the road.

The car in front of them had finally taken their foot off the brake and was inching slowly forward.

'Finally!'

Suddenly light filled the cabin and there was a horrible screeching sound of metal on metal. In the split second before the semi-trailer on the other side of the highway lost control and slammed into their car she thought it sounded like a winged Nazgûl screaming in her ear, then everything went black...

Alexa woke several seconds before her eyes did, and it felt like she was lying on grass.

'What?' she whispered, her hands gingerly feeling the ground, the unmistakable feel of a meadow beneath her fingers. Her eyes finally opened and she sat up and looked around.

Huge mountains lay to her right, wide rolling plains to her left. The sky above her was pure blue, not even a fleck of a cloud daring to break the evenness of the azure.

She finally registered where she was. This was Rohan, near Isengard (or what was left of it anyway).

There was a shuffling behind her and she turned to see Boromir sit up and clutch his head.

'What happened?' he muttered.

'We're back,' she said.

'What?' he demanded, looking up. 'Where's Jack?'

'Mummy?'

A short figure tottered towards her. 'Jack!'

'Mummy what happened?'

'Are you alright?' she demanded, checking his face and hugging him tightly. He was unharmed and wriggled out of her grip.

'I'm fine!' he insisted. 'Where are we?'

He looked around the fields. 'Is this heaven mum?'

'No honey, it's called Middle-earth,' she said standing up.

'How did we get here?'

She looked down at him, suddenly nervous. They had decided to never tell Jack about Rohan, Osgiliath, the ring, any of it. She didn't want him getting any ideas, especially considering the only way here was death. But she took a deep breath and told him the truth.

'Magic, darling'

Boromir was almost delirious with happiness as he looked around his homeland. The only reason they had not returned sooner was when Alexa had discovered she was pregnant and he'd refused to let her risk it; but he had always wanted to return in his youth.

'Our best bet would be to go to Edoras first, then get supplies and horses to make our way to Gondor,' said Boromir. He pointed towards the mountain ahead, sunlight glinting off the Golden Hall.

'You don't think we should go straight to Minas Tirith?' she asked, concerned. Boromir's gaze finally rested on Jack.

'There's nowhere else for miles,' he said. 'How about I just go and you two wait here?'

Alexa was about to nod, when the pounding of hooves rang across the plain and the trio turned to see a cluster of men on horses riding towards them at full gallop.

'This doesn't look friendly,' Boromir whispered as the men surrounded them and held out their spears at them. Jack shrieked in fear and Alexa and Boromir shielded him in between them.

'What business do a man, woman and child have in the Riddermark?' demanded the group's leader who had ridden to the front of the shields. Clearly he was looking for a reason to attack foreigners.

'We travel to Edoras to seek an audience with the king,' she said. 'We are friends of Rohan'

'Who are you?' he demanded. 'How do you know the king?'

'My name is Alexa, my lord. I am a friend of his majesty, though I have not seen him since before his coronation,' she replied. 'This is my husband, Brad and our son, Jack'

'Welcome,' the man said to them. Jack was staring at the soldier in awe.

'It is strange though, that you say you knew the king before he was crowned. For that to be true you must've been a mere babe, hardly a friend,' he said.

Alexa stopped, confused. 'How long has it been?'

'Twenty-five years, next month,' he replied. 'And you look no more than that'

'I am older than I look,' she replied. 'And clearly time has run away from me'

'But who do I have the honour of addressing, sir?' she asked. There was a beat, and he dismounted his horse. The spears around them relaxed and he took off his helmet. She gasped.

If he had not said that it had been twenty-five years, she would've thought it was Eomer himself. But this man was much younger than when she had known him, his hair was long and black, his green eyes glinting in the sun.

'I am Elfwine, son of Eomer,' he said proudly. As he got closer to the three, he stared at Alexa with vague recognition in his face.

'You seem familiar to me,' he said. 'Your face'

'We've never met before, my lord,' Alexa said, confused. 'Who is your mother?'

'Lothíriel of Gondor'

Boromir finally broke his silence at the mention of her name.

'My cousin!' he said suddenly. It was Elfwine's turn to look confused and he turned to Boromir.

'I have met my mother's only cousin, the lord Faramir of Gondor,' he said suspiciously. 'Her other cousin died many years ago, I don't know his name'

Boromir went to talk, but she stopped him.

'Please it is very important for us to see Eomer,' begged Alexa.

Elfwine was still very confused, but nodded. Perhaps he would find out more if he helped them.

'Very well, we will take you to Edoras,' he said. 'Come'

Elfwine offered to let the very tired Jack ride with him, and Alexa gasped again as she saw the two of them beside each other. Anyone could tell that they were related, Jack the miniature blonde mirror to Elfwine's dark features.

Boromir saw it too and gripped her hand, giving her a small smile.

'It'll be alright,' he whispered as the two unknown brothers galloped away towards Edoras.

Alexa and Boromir arrived five minutes later with the rest of the soldiers.

Alexa missed the simple beauty of Edoras, she still remembered the first time she had seen the Golden Hall, half conscious on Brego as they galloped across the plain. Perched on the hill in the middle of the fields it had taken her breath away, the sunshine glinting off the roof into her eyes and waking her up.

'Will you be alright?' Boromir whispered as they walked up the steps. She gripped his hand tighter as the doors opened and they entered the hall.

Lothíriel and Elfwine were sitting at one of the long tables next to Jack who was eating. The hall was empty except for them and a lone figure sitting on the throne up the end. He looked up when the doors opened and a cry escaped his lips when he saw the figures that entered.

'The Lord Brad and the Lady Alexa,' announced the guard. Eomer stood as Alexa and Boromir bowed.

'Alexa? Is it really you?' Eomer asked, standing. 'You've not aged a day'

She breathed in sharply as he stood. Despite his age Eomer looked very good for a man of 55. Looking nothing like an old man in her world, he passed for a man of 35 at the very least.

'We're back,' she replied. He looked over at Boromir.

'How?'

'I don't know,' Boromir shrugged.

'What happened?' he asked.

'There was a car accident,' she said. He remembered cars. 'It has been five years since I saw you last'

'This is your son?' Eomer asked, indicating Jack. 'How old is he?'

'He just turned 4,' Alexa replied. Eomer looked at Jack again, properly this time, and his face paled.

'Leave us!' he commanded Lothíriel and Elfwine. 'Take the boy with you.'

Looking disappointed the three stood and left the hall, the doors closing with an ominous thud.

'Tell me everything,' he said. 'The truth'


End file.
